The purpose of these notes is only to note what specific points were emphasised (or struck me) - they are not intended at all to be full descriptions of the different katas (I am not that smart, yet. Maybe one day... who knows!).
Questions or comments are more than welcome. I can be
reached
at the following email address: public.eye@village.uunet.be.
Jacques Van Alsenoy
Most of these comments come from Oshita sensei.
For kata 1-5 the cut is slightly below horizontal . For katas 6-10 the cut is horizontal.
Before attacking Teki first face him head-on. This is especially important in katas in which the attack comes from a different direction than straight before you.
Show seme! Especially in Ganmen Ate, Shi Ho Giri, Tsuka Ate
and
opening threat in San Po Giri. And in others, like Mae, Morote
Tsuki
etc, reach out towards Teki... make him feel your attack.
Be smooth/fluent during katas - but do mark your cuts with a (slight)
stop.
Cutting movement: hold your sword with arms high over your head. Grab the tsuka with your little fingers. Only 1 hand is really enough for cutting, although for most cuts we use 2 hands. When you cut - reach out as you cut down ; Teki does not stand in front of your toes.
2.2 Reiho
Shinsei ni rei: Smoothly change your sword from your left hand to your right (Clearly marking stops (1/2/3) during the movement is OK for beginners, but not for advanced practice). Angle of the sword is 45 degrees, relaxed grip on the saya.
When you sit down, as soon as you bend your legs, let the Saya rest on your upper thigh.
When you lay the sword down slightly oblique in front, keep the right hand at the Tsuba while you adjust the sageo close to the saya (don't show the palm of your hand). Return your right hand to your thigh first, then finally your left.
When you insert the saya in your obi, keep the saya more towards your right than to the front (ie. the angle of the saya/sword is not too much to the front) - this makes inserting easier.
Tying the sageo: insert your thumb behind the Hakama Himo,
hook
your Sageo using your thumb and pull it up, tie it & done.
Attach
it lightly so that you can easily untie it at the end of kata practice.
When standing up, the right foot does not go further than the left
knee.
2.3 Mae
Before (or as) you get ready to rise to your knees, prior to Nuki-tsuke, prepare by moving your feet & legs parallel - this enhances your ability to exert forward pressure and your ability to threaten Teki.
As you rise and draw the sword the angle of the saya rises too so that, while you draw, you bring the Tsukagashira towards the height of Teki's eyes. If this synchronisation is missing you will lack power. When completing Nuki-tsuke, your shoulders are at 45 degrees forward (i.e. reach out towards Teki, who may be leaning backward).
Ensure your Saya-biki is very strong and the Saya is flat.
During the Furikaburi movement the Kissaki moves first towards ear before you move your arm overhead. Cut without pause.
When you perform Chiburi, push your left heel towards the ground as you stand up - this enhances the strength and stability of the movement. Do not pull your right arm too far to the rear when you do Chiburi (compare MSR notes below).
2.4 Ushiro
'Advanced' advice: wait to put your toes 'in the ground' until as late as possible - this way you do not to give away your intentions.
Ensure that you cut 'forward' & wide: you have to compensate for the left turn to the front. Make sure your feet are aligned at the end of Nuki-tsuke.
The cut is as in Mae but is more difficult because of the turn. The end position for Nuki Tsuke is, as for Mae, 45 degrees forward.
Don't forget that Chiburi itself is also a cut.
2.5 Ukenagashi
Above all else, this kata should be smooth - one flowing movement from the moment you start through the Ukenagashi deflection to the Kiritsuke (there should not be a firm/hard block at the moment of the Ukenagashi).
Sword grip: when you grab the Tsuka, the angle is more 'square' than in Mae and Ushiro.
'Advanced' advice on timing: the Ukenagashi deflection is later rather than sooner.
2.6 Tsuka Ate
Quick and firm tsuki to Suigetsu (don't be nice to Teki): this is a powerful thrust to stop Teki is his tracks. Then slowly pull the Saya back (jo-ha-kyu), while keeping your attention to Teki at the front. The feeling is to push Teki-1 back as you draw the Saya following the Tsuki.
After Tsuki to the rear, again, ensure Teki-2 has fallen before shifting your attention fully to the front to finish Teki-1. When you attack to the front, ensure you have time to see where Teki-1 is before the final cut.
2.7 Kesa Giri
One big cut up & down. On the downward cut, sink your front knee/leg in the ground for stability.
Cut high; also remember that the downward cut is two-handed in seitei. Go get the Tsuka with your left hand before cutting down.
Final note on the cut: when armed overhead you should be able to look at Teki between your arms, ie. your left arm cannot be in front of your eyes (same as in Mae etc.)
2.8 Morote Tsuki
On the first attack, cut far and intense, don't hold back before the Tsuki. This is an all-out attack! Remember Jo-Ha-Kyu.
About the 2 'turning' cuts: the first one has the idea of Ukenagashi, while the 2nd one is not ; simply arm above your head as you turn and cut.
2.9 San Po Giri
Threaten front Teki by drawing for 10-20 cm, turn right while raising the Saya while drawing and cut. Look to the front to check out Teki-1 before attending to Teki-2 and Teki-3.
The 2nd and 3rd cuts are faster in succession than the first cut.
2.10 Ganmen Ate
The GanMenAte attack accelerates (Jo-ha-kyu). In seitei, this is an Ate between the eyes. In Koryu 'equivalent' katas, there can be more of a knock (up/down) to Tekis's face.
Strong Sayabiki and Tsuki for the first movements. On the Tsuki to suigetsu, smaller Sayabiki only.
2.11 Soete Tsuki
This kata in ZenKenRen originates from Hoki Ryu.
See that you face Teki before you cut.
2.12 Shi Ho Giri
Ensure you clearly face Teki before making the first strike.
Iwamoto sensei (Yamaguchi Kendo Renmei) was a student of Nakayama Hakudo sensei himself. He did most of the teaching, with Namitome sensei watching and commenting.
Some students of Nakayama sensei learned when he was young, others
later.
This difference explains differences in style (e.g lower vs. higher
stances
in Inyo-Shintai - when Nakayama sensei was younger he would have a
lower
stance than when he was older).
Furikaburi is at shoulder height instead of ear level (ZKR difference).
After the cuts vision is not focussing on where Teki is
laying;
see comments for Shohato.
Move sword forward with your left hand, grab the tsuba with 1 finger right of tsuba and your thumb on top of the tsuba (ZKR difference!).
As you put the sword down in front of you, the left hand is at the end of the saya (ZKR difference!). Put the sword in front of you on the floor, the sword is neither to the left or right of your body.
Adjust the sageo and bow as per ZKR.
Pick up the sword as you put it down and put in obi. The sageo
is tied at the far right (near right hip). There is no need to
'move
the sageo to the right during/before katas - leave the sageo lie in
your
lap.
Nuki tsuke 45 deg is OK; cut at the forehead - not too wide (less than in ZKR). Furikaburi at height of your shoulders. Cut. Chiburi ends towards front (+-right angle with body) so does not point directly at Teki.
Your vision is about 5 meters in front ; not at Teki on the ground in front of you. The reason is that you look at the entire 'environment' (there may be many enemies). The feeling is similar to when you drive a car - you don't focus on a particular object in front of you.
Sato/Uto/Atarito: you move your right/left knee 'in' after you have risen to your toes. This makes movement to turn easier & ensures alignment with Teki, who sits more exactly to your left/right/rear. For beginners practice use more knee 'displacement' but as experience grows there should be more speed and less explicitely knee-moving i.e. you rise, draw and cut in one fluent, single movement (nice but difficult to do, especially if you want to include sufficient 'power').
3.3.2 Inyo-shintai
Chase your oponent and stay low on first cut. Sayabiki and little fingers of right hand help power of cut & stability.
3.3.3 Ryuto
The cut is (almost) horizontal above saya & through Teki in wide cut. The cut is quite low!. After the cut, move the sword to the left and let the kissaki rest on the right knee. In the move, do not raise the kissaki too high.
3.3.4 Junto
After drawing your sword and standing up, the position to hold the sword is with your right arm 'folded' against body, the sword is not resting on your shoulder and is pointing upwards. Arm centrally overhead before the cut.
'Gentle' cut to not let the head fall off (there was a comment that the relationship between the person doing seppuku and the Kaishaku could make for different styles/'hardness' of cuts). Before noto, let the kissaki rest on the right knee (see Ryuto)
3.3.5 Gyakuto
About the nuki-tsuke phase at the beginning: the reason/intent of not drawing far in front of you is not the lack of distance towards Teki but to obtain a strong stance when you stand up and deflect your oponents' attack using an Ukenagashi movement. Then chase etc.
The way Iwamoto demonstrated was to thrust the kissaki in Teki's neck, artery or heart. Iwamoto sensei did not practice the option of cutting Teki's neck artery.
3.3.6 Seichuto
The first cut/attack is to cut both of Teki's hands/forearms. After this initial cut, move quickly forward in Tsugi Ashi - left foot does not bypass your right foot. Only one step from right foot and cut.
3.3.7 Koranto
Stop (slightly) after the initial nuki-tsuke, don't move too fast.
3.3.8 Sakate Inyo Shintai
A.k.a. Inyo Shintai Kai Waza. Block the 2nd attack to the right of your front leg, and not too far away from your leg.
3.3.9 Batto
Draw your sword as fast as possible (don't go faster than you are
comfortable).
In Shoden your oponent is right in front of you and close by, so it is
not possible to draw your sword to the front - therefore the draw is
sideways.
After Nuki-tsuke, move the sword from the front of your body towards
your
left shoulder in an Ukenagashi kind of movement & arm above
your
head. Iwamoto sensei and Namitome sensei were not familiar with
the
explanation of Teki grabbing your gi.
When arming overhead, as you prepare to cut, try to lift your
knees from ground as you arm overhead so that your cut is with your
whole
body as you come down.
Difference between shoden/chuden batto movement: In Chuden
Teki
comes from further away e.g. in jo-dan. you can therefore draw
your
sword to front, chudan execution is also more smooth and faster.
Also compare in Okuden - Ito ma goi - which is even faster than chuden.
Is like Shohato. Either move forward or backward, both are fine. Backward is more difficult, because as you do this, you do need to keep your seme forward. Note about the low stance on the Nuki-tsuke: in essence the height of this cut is similar to Shohato, ie. the height should be nearly the same as when you do not rise!
3.4.2 Tora issoku
'Tiger 1 step'. Fully draw then 'break' into the 'Sakate Inyo Shintai' blocking movement.
3.4.3 Inazuma
Re. Seichuto but the angle of your blade is higher! There is no need to advance far as Chuden are 'close-combat' situations.
3.4.4 Yoko gumo
3.4.5 Oroshi
After you turn sideways, your right foot steps on Teki's right thigh while you slap your tsuka on his hand (which is grabbing his tsuka). Strike Teki's chin as you move your tsuka from front to side to draw your sword etc.
3.4.6 Iwanami
3.4.7 Uroko Gaeshi/Nuki Kaeshi
Stay as low as you can (see notes on Uki Gumo). The fact that you do not 'sit' on the ground makes the movement faster - but it should be as low!
3.4.8 Taki Otoshi
After the movement 'opening' and drawing the sword - either tsuki on Teki's head, then cut with your right knee to the ground) or tsuki on body , then standing cut after right step forward. The kata's name refers to 'falling from above' (i.e. the tsuki movement).
3.4.9 Batto
See notes in Batto / Chuden.
Nov 1999